Amusement ride



July 3o, 1940.

` E. A. ZEBULSKE AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Aug. 29, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EMM/@A ZEUZs/ BY ,Mvg-uu..

ATT C N EYS July 30, 1940- E. A. zEBULsKE I 2,209,550

I AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Aug. 29, 1939 's sheets-sheet z @@@Mmvm ATTORNEYS July 30, 1940- E. A. zEBULsKE i 2,209,550 musEivnsNT` RIDE Filed Aug. 29, 1939 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATT R N EYS Patented July so, 1940 2,209,550

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT RIDE Edward A. Zebulske, North Tonawanda, N. Y., as-

signor to Spillman Engineering Corporation, North Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application August 29, 1939, serial No. 292,441

Claims. (Cl. 272-51) This invention relates to improvements in an omitted for the sake of clearness in illustration; amusement device known as a roundabout and Fig. 4 is an enlarged side View of the clutch suitable for use at Carnivals and amusement parks mechanism employed in the apparatus of Fig. 1; and the like. More particularly it relates to such Fig. 5 is a plan view of the clutch mechanism 5 a device in which one or more cars rotate in a Shown in Figl 4; and

circle around a common center, the plane of the Fig. 6 is an enlarged, side view of an alternative circle being inclined at an angle to the horizontal. form of device. In devices of this type it has been common Referring to Fig. 1, the device generally is 1oto have the cars rotate in such manner that they cated on a frame I0 which consists of a central 10 are at a constant angle to the plane of the circle column II held in place by lateral braces I2, a 10 in which they rotate. Ordinarily this angle is plurality 0f circumferential SiipDOrting columns at right angles t0 Such plana With this con- I3 located at a constant distance from central struction, when the car is at the top of its travel, Column II, and a second set of circumferential that is, at the top of the circle, the Car leans columns I4 located outwardly from columns I 3 inwardly, which creates a force in an inward and connected thereto by lateral braces I5. 'Ihe 15 direction counteracting to a greater or lesser excolumns I3 and I4 are highest O11 one Side of the tent the centrifugal force which tends to throw column II and lowest on the other, while the inthe car and the passengers outwardly. At the bottermediate COllimIlS i3 and I4 graduate irl height tom of the Circle, however, both Car and pasfrom the highest to the lowest. The columns I3 sengers are leaning outwardly, which accentuates and I4 are kept in a `i'lXed position with regard @2"'0 the centrifugal force and gives the passengers a t0 Central 0011111111 Il by means of rods I8 and feeling that they may be thrown out of the car. braces |9- It has also been considered desirable to impart Rigdly attached to the inner columns I 3 is variable speeds to the passenger carriers in such a Circular tl'aek le WlliCll iS preferably located a device. Such proposals have been impractical in a single plane, at an angle inclined Sub- 25 because, with such an arrangement, the centrifstaiitally t0 the hOrZOnal- Rigidiy attached to ugal force acting on the passengers is even greater the Oli-ter COllimnS I4 iS a Second circular track than normal] at those points Where the passenger I1 located in pla/11e IESS inclined t0 the hOI- Carriers are traveling at their fastest, zontal than that of track I6, as shown in Fig. 1.

It is an object of this invention to construct a By this means it is seen that any Vehicle trai/el :3

roundabout of the class described in such a fashing 011 the tWO tracks as a unit will be inclined ion that the passengers are comfortable at all at a Substantial angle t0 the 'plane 0f track I6 times and have no tendency to be thrown Outat the bottom Of the track, While at the 170D it S ward. This permits the utilization of greater either inclined not at all or at a much lesser operating speeds for the device with safety to the angle. Therefore, centrifugal force, which is f4() force upon the passengers is adequately counterpassengers, much greater at the bottom than at the top, is

It is a further object to accomplish this result adequately compensated for at all points. by a Simple device Which maintains the cars at Located at the center of the device and adall times in a position whereby the centrifugal jacent the top of the Column H is a member 2| freely rotatating around a fixed shaft 20. To

acted. It iS Still aIlOtliel' Obieet t0 provide an the member 2| are attached a number of radially improved means for imparting variable speed to extendin s wee 22. Th the passenger earners 1n such a device. Other ably rigily tthed to si? raf pilier* objects will appear hereinafter. a a

These Objects are accomplished by the itu/en their outer ends are provided with rollers or tion herein described which will be more readily Wheels 23 which nde on the track i6' 45 understood by reference to the appended draw Somewhat lrlardly from like Outer end 0f each ings sweep 22 1s a Jolnt 24 'to which is attached a tie In the drawings: member 25, circular 1n cross section, and ex- 50 Fig. 1 is a side View of one form of the device, teilding t0 a silililar joint Ori the iieXt adjacent r partly in elevation and partly in cross section; Sweep. These tie members 25 serve to keep the i Fig. 2 is a bottom, plan View of a passenger sWeeDs rigidly irl position and apart from each carrier employed in 'the device; other and serve also as supports for the cars,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the entire apparatus `which will be described next. Fitted on each tie shown in Fig. 1, the passenger carriers being member 25 are collars 26, located near each end ,55

through which shaft 2! extends.

of the tie member, for the purpose hereinafter described.

On each tie member 25 is positioned a passenger carrier 30 which can rotate about the tie members 25 as an axis. Each car is held in place on its tie member by means of brackets 3E having a depending flange 32 forming a slot into which the tie member 25 fits. These brackets are attached to the under side of the car and are located adjacent each end of the car, fitting snugly over the tie member 25 betweenv the collars 26, the collars preventing the cars from sliding longitudinally. The slot formed by the bracket and ilange 32 is preferably curved to t the f contour of the tie member 25. The tie member is positively held within the bracket by means of a pin 33. On its outer edge the car 30 is provided vvith a single bracket 34 to which is attached a freely rotating wheel 35 riding on the second circular track I1. The car is thus supported at three points; namely, the bracket 34,-

and the two brackets 3l.

In Fig. 6 is shown an alternative form of arrangement of the two tracks. In this form the sweeps 22 ride on the outer track 5t. A bracket 55 (corresponding to bracket 3l) is located toward the center of each end of the underside of the passenger carrier 313. These are held in place on tie member 2.5 by means of pins and collars in a fashion similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Although the center of gravity ofthe passenger carrier 3l) is thus somewhat inward of bracket 55, the effect of centrifugal force during the operation of the device is to cause most of the weight of the passenger `carrier 3Q to rest on the brackets 55.

The inner track in this case is designed to prevent movement in either direction. A wheel 54 on a bracket 53 rides between the two flanges 53 of the track'5l.

Referring again to Fig. l,`the passenger carriers may be driven in two groups, one group associated through its sweeps with freely rotating member 2l and the second gro-up associated through its sweeps 22 with a second member 4|, also freely rotating around shaft 2B. Member 2l is provided with two vextending arms 38 through holes in which. the shaft 2li extends. Member 4l is provided with a single arm 42 fitting between arms 38 and also provided with a hole In this way `the'two members 2! and Il! can rotate independently of each other. within the limits that the passenger carriers fill of thetwo groups do not collide with each other.

By the arrangement hereinafter described, the two groups of passenger carriers are driven at different rates of speed. The group of cars at the bottom of the inclined circle will travel at a higher rate of speed than those at the top. Due to the fact that the carriers yare constantly traveling around the circle, each of the two groups will alternately travel the fastest, so that the average speed of the two groups is the same. Thus neither group will ever collide with the other group, provided the diierence in speed at the top and at the bottom is properly chosen. In this arrangement, in order to provide for the greater centrifugal force at the bottom than at the top of the inclined circle, the passenger carriers are maintained at a greater angle to the horizontal at the bottom than at the top, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The two groups of carriers are driven at different rates of speed by a special form of clutch located between the driving mechanism and the driven mechanism. The driving mechanism comprises a member 43 also freely rotatable on shaft 20. Rigidlyattached to this member are radially extending spokes 44, attached at their outer ends to a circumferential member or wheel 45. Depending from the under side of wheel 45 are a plurality of hooks 46 provided with V- shaped notches in which ride a driving cable 4l. The driving cable is driven by any suitable sort of prime mover (not sho-wn). The outer surface of the wheel l5 frictionally engages with shoes 48 which in turn are attached, in the manner hereinafter described, to the sweeps 22.

To each sweep 22 is attached a bracket 49 provided with a cross-arm 50. At each end of the cross-arm 53 there is attached a link 5i, extending parallel to each other and each attached at its opposite end to the shoe 48. Also attached to the shoe 48 is a light tension spring 52 extending to the cross-arm 50 of the neXt adjacent sweep. The links 5I are of such a length that, when there is frictional Contact between wheel 45 and shoe 48, links 5l will extend at an angle therefrom. The direction of this angle is such that the sweeps 22 are always in advance of their corresponding shoes Ml. This is shown in Fig. 5, where the direction of rotation is indicated by an arrow.

In operation, initial contact between the shoe i8 and the wheel 45 is secured by means of the spring 52. As the sweeps and carriers are moved on the upward side of the circle this contact tends to become more secure, due to the weight of the sweeps and carriers, which exert a moment of force inwardly against the wheel 45. This position can be visualized by turning the drawing (Fig. 5) one-quarter turn counterclockwise, so that the left-hand margin of the page becomes the bottom. As the sweeps and carriers approach and reach the downward side of the circle (visualized by turning the drawing, Fig. 5, one-quarter turn clockwise, so that the right-hand margin of -the page becomes the bottom), the weight of sweeps and carriers .no longer remains effective. In this position, in fact, the weight of the sweeps and carriers, together with centrifugal force, pulls shoe 48 away from wheel 45 against the slight tension of the spring 52. Thus the carriers and sweeps are allowed to travel faster than wheel 45 until their maximum speed is attained at the bottom of the circle. As the sweeps and carriers travel on the upward side and the speed of sweeps and carriers drops to that of wheel 45, contact between shoe 48 and wheel 45 is again established, and the cycle is repeated.

It has been found that the most practical arrangement with this variable speed travel is to have the carriers in two groups. A single group, however, can be operated equally well, although the full benefits of the device will not be realized thus. In addition, more than two groups can be accommodated provided the apparatus is constructed on a suiciently large scale.

As many other modications obviously may be made, the invention is not intended to be limited said passenger carrier is at all times at an angle inwardly inclined to thelvertical.

2. An amusement device comprising an inner circular track located in a plane substantially inclined to the horizontal, an outer circular track located in a plane less inclined to the horizontal than said inner circular track, a plurality of sweeps extending substantially from a common center, wheels on said sweeps traveling on one of said tracks, and a passenger carrier attached to said traveling sweeps andI also traveling on the other of said tracks, the inclination of said two tracks to each other being such that said passenger 'carrier is at all times at an angle inwardly inclined to the vertical.

3. An amusement device comprising an inner circular track located in a plane substantially inclined to the horizontal, an outer circular track located in a plane less-inclined to the horizontal than said inner circular track, a plurality of sweeps extending substantially from a common center, tie members connecting said sweeps', wheels on said sweeps traveling on one of said tracks, and a passenger carrier attached to said tie members and also traveling on the other of said tracks, the inclination of said two tra'cks to each other being such that said passenger carrier s at all times at an angle inwardly inclined to the vertical.

4. An amusement device comprising an inner circular track located in a plane substantially inclined to the horizontal, an outer circular track located in a plane less inclined to the horizontal than said inner circular track, a passenger carrier traveling on said tracks, the inclination of said twotracks to each other being such that the angle of inclination inwardly to the vertical of said passenger carrier increases towards the bottommost point of said tracks and decreases towards the topmost point of said tracks, and means for causing said passenger carrier to travel at a speed increasing towards the bottomrnost point of said track and decreasing towards the topmost point of said track.

5. An amusement device comprising an inner circular track located in a plane substantially inclined to the horizontal, an outer circular track located in a plane less inclined to the horizontal than said inner circular track, and a passenger 'carrier traveling on said tracks, the inclination of said two tracks to each other being such that Ithe angle of inclination inwardly to the vertical EDWARD A. ZEBULSKE. 

